My Turn: Iraqi elections another milestone

Once again, the Iraqi people have gone to the polls to exercise their right to vote, a right too long trammeled by the tyranny of Saddam Hussein. Once again, they have turned out in droves, undeterred by bombs and bullets, to vote in elections to help determine their future.

The big difference this time around was the increased participation of the Sunnis, who mostly abstained from voting before, asserting that the earlier elections were illegal, rigged, or both. Their choice of ballots over bombs and bullets is an important and welcome sign of continuing progress in Iraq.

Clearly, these latest elections in Iraq are cause for celebration, though not unbridled euphoria. Some eleven million Iraqi citizens turned out to vote for the first permanent National Assembly since the fall of Saddam Hussein. This fact alone attests to their courage and resolve to be a part of the new Iraq. Still, the new Iraq will require for its enduring success much more than elections, important though they are.

Free, fair and open elections are a vital part of any democratic system. However, they are like stars in a constellation. To long endure, that constellation must include other vital parts as well. Majority rule, freedom of expression, and the right to organize for political purposes, all are needed to brighten the constellation.

This system of interrelated political processes must rest on a firm foundation of interacting values, including personal liberty, respect for the individual, equal opportunity, the rule of law, and popular consent.

Ultimately, these political processes and values must work in concert to build and sustain democratic political structures that will protect and preserve democracy over time and circumstance. These include a viable constitution that both grants and limits power, reinforced by healthy competition among political parties, interest groups, the media, and others who breathe life into democracy.

Achieving all this will be a tall order, indeed, for the Iraqi people, just as it was for the American people. Democracy does not spring full-grown from the womb. From conception to birth and beyond, it must be nurtured, preserved and protected. Otherwise, it will surely wither and die.

The rise and fall of ancient Athens is a cautionary tale for all to heed. The birthplace of democracy became its deathbed when Athenians opted for security over liberty and comfort over freedom. Ultimately, they lost it all — to greed, self-indulgence, ignorance and apathy. Freedom isn’t free. It never was and never will be.

Thomas Vaughn is a professor at Motlow College and co-host of “Viewpoints,” which airs on WCPI 91.3 FM.